Many voters turn off and tune out when an election falls in a nonpresidential year.

That’s unfortunate. Off-year elections may not have the pizzazz of the presidency going for them, but they’re consequential and close to home.

When the governor is on the ballot, the turnout here in Ramsey County typically is in the range of 200,000 to 225,000 — generally between about 50 percent to 60 percent of eligible voters, county Elections Manager Joe Mansky told us.

“That’s 25 percent less than we’ve been getting for presidential elections in recent years,” said Mansky. “That tells you that a quarter of our electorate — a lot of people — are only voting in presidential elections.”

Voters will go to the polls Nov. 4 to elect a governor and fill the U.S. Senate seat held by Al Franken. They also will elect all of Minnesota’s members of the U.S. House of Representatives and will determine whether Republicans regain control of the Minnesota House, which they lost in 2012. To do so, they need to pick up just seven seats. The Senate, also controlled by Democrats, is not up for re-election until 2016.

And Democrats will attempt to defend their hold on the state’s constitutional offices. In addition to Gov. Mark Dayton and outgoing Lt. Gov. Yvonne Prettner Solon, those in office are Attorney General Lori Swanson and State Auditor Rebecca Otto. Secretary of State Mark Ritchie announced in June that he will not seek re-election.

Turnout matters in every race, and it can make a difference. It’s noteworthy that both of those at the top of the Democratic ticket won in recounts: Dayton in 2010 by 8,770 votes, and Franken by only 312 — of 2.9 million cast — in a 2008 contest that extended to mid-2009.

Along with the higher- profile races are others with immediate, close-to-home impact.

Residents of St. Paul, for example, will elect their members of the Ramsey County board, seats now held by Janice Rettman, Toni Carter, Rafael Ortega and Jim McDonough. County-wide, voters will elect their sheriff and county attorney; incumbents are Matt Bostrom and John Choi, respectively.

Mayors and City Council members in many suburban communities also will be on ballots, in local races that deserve more attention than they get.

In fact, Mansky said, voter interest seems to be “in reverse proportion to the impact of various elected offices on citizens’ daily life.”

While the president gets the highest turnout, Mansky maintains that on a day-to-day basis, “the most important officials in town are the mayor and the council members” — those responsible for public safety and things that make life better and easier, such as fixing potholes and plowing streets.

“Yet the turnout for city elections is the lowest of any we conduct,” he said.

For some voters, though, engagement runs deep, with efforts that include the grass-roots process now under way at endorsing conventions. Included, for example, are dozens of gatherings taking place this weekend at schools, community centers and other locations throughout the state.

After rounds of local gatherings come the parties’ state conventions. Democrats will meet May 30- June 1 in Duluth, Republicans May 30 and 31 in Rochester, and members of the Independence Party on May 17 in Mankato.

Another major milestone, Primary Election Day, Aug. 12, will mark voters’ first experience with new procedures that allow them to vote before Election Day for any reason.

Minnesota is joining 28 other states that allow voters to do so without having to provide an excuse, according to the Secretary of State’s Office. Previous law required voters to state a reason they were unable to vote on Election Day before they received an absentee ballot.

Votes can be cast in person at a designated location or by mail during the six weeks before the election. In- person voting for the primary, for example, will start June 27. Information is available via the Ramsey County Elections web page.

As the races unfold and as candidates make their case in months to come, we welcome the challengers, including those in the crowded fields of Republicans in the races for governor and the U.S. Senate.

At every level, we respect those who stand to serve the people. They deserve attention.

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